| Abstract
| - A detailed characterization of platinum− and gold−diamondlike carbon (DLC) nanocomposite films deposited ontosilicon substrates is presented. A modified pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique was used to incorporate noblemetal nanoclusters into hydrogen-free DLC films. Several analytical techniques, including transmission electronmicroscopy, atomic force microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,Raman spectroscopy, and nanoindentation testing, were used to investigate these thin films in an effort to determinetheir physical and electrochemical properties. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy indicated that the gold- andplatinum−DLC films contain metal concentrations between three and 36 atomic percent. Cross-sectional transmissionelectron microscopy revealed that metal is present as arrays of noble metal islands embedded within the DLC matrix,while atomic force microscopy provided evidence of target splashing. In addition, due to the inclusion of metal,metal−DLC thin films exhibited greater conductivity than their metal-free counterparts. The electrochemical propertieswere studied using quasi-reversible redox couples and correlated to the metal concentration. Finally, the influenceof the layer's composition on the electron-transfer kinetics and the achievable working potential window is discussed.The results discussed herein suggest that metal−DLC thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition present a promisingalternative electrode material for electrochemistry.
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